


Two Primes

by Dark_Labyrinth



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Gen, Hikaru Sulu Prime - Freeform, Mention of Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:02:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22349212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Labyrinth/pseuds/Dark_Labyrinth
Summary: I wrote this for Trekmas in 2015 on LJ. Cleaning out my Drive made me stumble upon it. I really liked this one. It kind of tied up some things for me. But, I always was a Scotty/Uhura fan.
Relationships: Montgomery "Scotty" Scott/Nyota Uhura, Spock/Nyota Uhura
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	Two Primes

Spock had never come back. 

That was the topic of their last conversation. She stood in the torpedo bay with Sulu and Chekhov and her love. Scotty. They were all that was left of the original Enterprise. Her Scotty was heading to his final voyage. The tears flowed but her sobbing had stopped the night before when he left her life. He wanted to be aboard the Enterprise and have a ship funeral as opposed to being buried on Earth. There would be no rescuing him this time. This time he was gone and she would have to wait until she took the final voyage to see him again. 

The night before they had spoke at length about Spock. They pondered where he was and how soon Scotty would likely be joining him. They had speculated where he could be and why the black hole that had been created seemed to be stagnant. It didn’t grow but it didn’t devour any more than it was meant to. They had sent one probe and it had been lost. That was years ago. And Nyota believed that Spock was alive somewhere while Scotty believed he was gone from any plane of existence.

****

The months after Scotty’s death had seemed to be a haze of a memory. Nyota was tired a lot of the time and seemed to be sleeping more than she ever remembered. It was so difficult to want to get up to do anything. She found comfort in the bed she had shared with Scotty for so long. She slept in the middle of the bed facing Scotty’s side. She would wake with her hand on his pillow and just close her eyes again where she could be with him. 

The communication she had got that morning had drug her unwillingly from bed. She was being asked to head a mission to the black hole. No. Not to the black hole, but through it. Considering the black hole was in Romulan space there was belief that wherever it led to, might be inhabited by Romulans. Even the very Romulans they had tried to save. The latter was optimistic chatter. The planet had exploded before Spock was able to launch the red matter. 

She was the best in her field even after all this time. She had taught at the academy and been on more missions than any other linguist. She had lived her life and the thought of going out once more into a black hole into who knows where… It was the only thing that had gotten her out of their bed. 

As she showered she played their last conversation in her mind again. Scotty had been sure that Spock was somewhere. Somewhere exploring a bold new frontier. Would she find him or would she be alone in a place she would not know. Would she die? If she did, was that a bad thing? 

When she reached Starfleet Command she found Sulu waiting outside for her. She smiled her first smile in a long time and embraced her old friend. 

“Admiral,” she said when they disentangled. 

Sulu chuckled. “Admiral,” he said in response to her using his title. 

“I thought the Excelsior was away on a mission.” She stated. She had received a communication from him almost a month ago. 

“I was called back for a very important mission,” he said and swept his arm. “After you.” 

Nyota smiled again. At least she knew that she would be with someone she loved before she left their universe or… whatever. 

*****

It took some convincing but she finally got Starfleet to let her risk only her life. She did not want a crew to worry over. There was no precedent for what was about to happen and she would rather risk only herself. Which was why she believed they had chosen her. They could talk all about her knowledge, experience and ability, when what it came down to was who was willing without being ordered. 

She sat in Sulu’s ready room and shared a glass of Brandy. “Is this Acamarian?” She asked, more than a little impressed. 

“I’ve been saving it for a special occasion.” Sulu sipped the amber liquid and savoured the delicate flavor and warm feeling that filled his stomach. 

They sat in silence for what seemed too long to be comfortable but was actually quite nice when Sulu finally spoke. “What do you hope to find, Nyota?”

“A glorious voyage,” she said. Though she imagined what he heard was: _A glorious end._ But it wasn’t an end she was seeking. “I want one last voyage into the unknown and seek out life. I know that sounds silly, but I feel they all would have wanted it this way. You lead here and I will lead into there,” she said with a nod out the window to where the black hole was visible. 

“I won’t say I miss you, because I will be waiting for you to come home,” he raised his glass. “To the most beautiful, courageous, intelligent and amazing woman leading a voyage into the unknown.” 

Nyota raised her glass and they each took a long drink of their brandy. The night ended too soon and when she slept she dreamt of Scotty. 

*****

In the morning, Nyota dressed in her uniform and entered the shuttle without looking back to Sulu. She couldn’t say goodbye, but they had embraced and she refused to let him see her tears once she boarded. 

Once she was into the quiet of space she cleared her face of any remnants of tears and opened her comm. 

“Uhura here,” she said and waited for Sulu to respond. 

“Excelsior here, Admiral. How is everything?” he asked being less formal for his friend. His heart was tight in his chest and his words came out pained. 

“Admiral, I have one request,” she said. 

“Anything, Uhura.”

“If I don’t come back, don’t let them send anyone after me,” she knew that he would head an expedition after her if he could. 

“Nyota…” Sulu choked on her name but was cut off before he could continue.

“There is no need to send anyone to learn something if we cannot benefit from it. This needs to be the last exploration if I do not return. Promise me.” She urged him and felt as if she would beg if need be. 

Why was she making him promise? He did not want to leave her there. What would Scotty think? What would any of the others think if he left her alone in a place that could be dangerous. 

“Hikaru, I will always be with you. We all are always together. Promise me.” Her voice was stern but had the edge of a tenderness that Sulu could hear. 

“I promise,” he finally conceded. 

There was a groan in her shuttle and she realized she was close enough to the anomaly to start being pulled by it. She disengaged her thrusters and let herself be edged closer. 

“Until we meet again,” she said.

“Until then.” 

“Uhura out,” she said and disengaged her comms. She didn’t want to cry again. 

The slow pull became faster and she was being tossed about her seat. It wasn’t a smooth ride by any means. As she grew closer the stars slowly faded around her. It was a darkness unlike she had ever seen. Space was not as dark as some would think. There were stars everywhere that created the knowledge that there was more than darkness in the vastness of space. The black hole swallowed all of that as it was swallowing her. 

There was another loud groan from her shuttle and when she turned her head she saw the control panel to the door spark and suddenly there was a loud pop as it flew from the wall and exploded in more sparks and light. The pressure was squeezing her shuttle. Her shuttle was the second version of the Jellyfish that Spock had taken to deliver the red matter. 

The darkness engulfed her completely and the lights inside her shuttle flickered. There was that moment of fear. She couldn’t deny it. But it was there and gone just as quickly. When the lights went out for what seemed like an eternity she thought that she had died. There was nothing, no sound, no light and even the shaking in the shuttle seemed to have stopped. It was pitch black and there was a feeling of weightlessness and pressure all at once. 

The lights came on in the shuttle suddenly and she took a sharp intake of breath before she realized there was something in front of her. Something out in the blackness. A faint speckle of light that grew larger as she moved at an astronomical speed. She was going so fast her shuttle sensors could not register it. That was when everything went out of focus. She had a moment to think of hitting the distress beacon and then the darkness came once more. 

*****

“Captain, we’re receiving a distress beacon from the neutral zone,” Sulu said. His face grew grave and he turned. “It is where The Kelvin was attacked.” 

Jim leaned forward in his chair and tilted his head down just a bit. “Looks like someone needs our help,” he said though his chest felt tight. 

“Aye, captain,” Sulu said and plotted a course. 

Jim leaned back in his chair and could feel all the eyes on the command deck on him. For a moment it was silent and then everyone was back to work and all the usual noises filled his ears. Though he didn’t really care. He was afraid this was another danger. He turned to look at Spock and gave a nod of his head. He would know to get the ship ready for an attack and to gather an away team that would be ready for anything. 

He heard the commands but paid them no mind. If this turned into another fiasco he was going to begin wondering if they were going to find trouble every time they went out. They were only six months into their five year mission and had yet to get into any real trouble. It wasn’t a bad thing, but he was a little amped up for some action. So while he was hoping it wasn’t another Narada, or a being like Khan, he hoped for something. 

*****

“Is that…” Jim started.

“A Jellyfish, yes, Captain. Though it appears to be more advanced than the last one we encountered,” Spock finished for his captain. 

“I’m only showing one life form, Captain,” Sulu stated. 

Spock looked to the Captain and tilted his head. One pilot, no crew. The similarities were disconcerting. 

“You’re with me,” Jim said to Spock and stood from his chair to turn toward the lift. He touched his comm and called for Scotty. “Going to need you on this one buddy.” The next communication was to Hendorff. “Meet us in transporter room 2.” 

“Sulu, you have the con,” the Captain said before they entered the lift and the door shut behind them. 

“Captain, I must express my concerns,” Spock said. 

“Yes, I know, but let’s just pretend that you’ve expressed them and that I’ve neglected to listen. It always works better if we just cut through the objections.” Jim clapped Spock on the back and gave him one of his winning smiles. 

“You are ignoring what I have to say, which means you find my concerns valid and still chose not to listen to them. Need I remind you that I warned you about Khan?” Spock was about to go on a tear and Kirk shook his head. 

“No you don’t need to remind me, but apparently I need to remind you that I never trusted the man. I did what needed to be done and I won’t have this argument with you again. Let’s go have some fun, okay?” Jim smiled again and the lift opened. 

Spock exited with his captain and again had the urge to shake him and tell him what he thought of him risking his life unnecessarily. Of course he didn’t act on it and calmed himself. After what happened with Khan he had allowed too many of his human emotions to run free in his mind. He was overcoming it but the Captain did not make it easy. 

They entered the transporter room with Hendorff and Scotty not far behind. Hendorff had three other security officers with him and handed all of them phasers. Jim tucked his into his belt and they all stood on the platform. 

Within moments they were transported onto the small shuttle. The corridor leading to the pilot seat was where they stood and when Jim looked down to the pilot seat he saw an older woman lying beside the chair. Both he and Spock went to her and checked her vitals. 

“She is alive,” Spock said. 

“Bones,” Kirk said after touching his comm. 

“Got something for me, Jim?” McCoy asked.

“Yeah, I’ll have her beamed to sickbay.” Jim waited for the woman to be beamed back to the Enterprise and turned to Scotty. 

“Find out what happened here. Dock her if she’s still capable.” Jim was not unaware of Spock’s obvious feeling of dismay. The woman resembled Uhura. “Stay with Scotty to make sure there are no surprises waiting,” he said to Hendorff.

Jim signalled back to the Enterprise to have him and Spock beamed to sickbay and waited until they were both standing back on familiar ground. 

“Bones, is that who I think it is?” Jim asked as both he and Spock stepped closer to the woman asleep on one of the biobeds.

At that moment the woman woke. Her eyes fluttered open and she seemed to have a moment of disorientation as she looked from Bones, to Kirk to Spock. 

“You’re all so young,” she said with a smile and then she passed out again. 

Spock’s eyebrow arched and he tilted his head just a bit. “It would seem that it is.” 

*****

When Uhura awoke it was dark in sickbay. What light there was, was minimal. She assumed that it was Gamma shift and the majority of the crew was asleep. She sat up and looked around. They couldn’t be on the Enterprise. This ship was far more advanced than the Enterprise that she thought she should be on. It wouldn’t have been her first foray into the past. 

She had no idea the black hole would send her to her own past. The door opened and she realized her sitting up in the biobed must have signalled the doctor that she was awake. 

“How are you feeling?” McCoy asked.

“Fine, and you?” she asked in return. 

Bones arched a brow. “Just wonderful. I was in the middle of a dream where I was taken captive by a group of Orions…” He seemed to realize who he was talking to and cleared his throat. 

“When this old lady had to go and wake you up,” she finished for him with a smile. “Oh, I have missed you, Doctor.” 

“Really?” McCoy said and smiled. He liked this Uhura. Not that he didn’t like the one he worked with. Uhura just seemed a bit less playful. 

The door opened again and Uhura smiled before she saw who had entered. “Hello, Captain,” she said and turned her head to see him. Protocol would have Bones waking his captain to alert him that she had woken. He was just as handsome as she remembered. 

“Hello, Uhura.” Jim walked over to stand next to Bones in front of her. 

“Are either of you young men going to offer a lady a drink? Apparently passing out leaves one a bit parched.” Jim looked to Bones who went to get her some water. 

“Want to tell me how it is you’re here?” Jim asked.

“Only if you tell me why you don’t seem to be surprised to have the older version of your lieutenant on board your ship?” she asked and noticed the look that passed between Jim and Bones. 

“Spock is here, not your Spock, but a Spock that is from my time.” She was sure of it. They had encountered Spock and it was possible she could see him. The thought made her happy. She missed her old friend. 

“Still smart,” Bones said. 

“I’m old, not senile.” She took the glass of water and drank it down slowly. It tasted wonderful and she found she had a lot to say to her friends. “When Spock didn’t return we sent a probe through the black hole and it never returned. The federation was going to leave well enough alone when…” She didn’t want to give away too much. Their future could be jeopardized with too much knowledge. 

“I was chosen for the last mission through the Black Hole. I asked that there be no others after me if I did not return.” She took the last few swallows of her water and glanced back at the boys. “What year is this, anyway?” 

“2260,” Jim said. “And what year did you come from?” 

“2392,” she said. She frowned. Scotty would have loved to come with her. He was there, somewhere and she wanted to see him. She wanted to see Sulu and Chekov and just about a ton of others she knew would be there. Or… should be there. 

She yawned and swayed just a bit. Both McCoy and Kirk reached out to steady her. “It would seem I still need rest. Black holes seem to take it out of a girl.” She gave a small chuckle and then groaned when she looked down to the bio bed. Her back ached and she just was not up for sleeping on that thing again. 

“If you wouldn’t mind, I would rather a soft bed and a nice blanket.” She knew they had to be worried if she would pose some sort of threat. They were a peacekeeping vessel, not a war vessel. But it didn’t stop the amount of trouble they got into. 

“You could post a guard. Though I promise not to get into any trouble.” She smiled sweetly and watched the young men exchange a look. 

“That’s fine. Get some rest and in the morning we’ll talk more,” Jim said and gave her one of his smiles that melted many a hearts. She remembered all the women he’d seduced. Hell, she had even kissed him once. 

Bones saw her to a guest quarters and when he left she gave him a kiss on the cheek and a warm hug. He smiled in spite of himself and left her with a guard outside her door. He definitely liked her more than her younger self. 

Uhura sunk into the foam mattress and curled up with the PADD she found. She knew the access in a guest quarters would be minimal but she needed to see why they were on their first five year mission five years too early. Why the Enterprise was so advanced. She had many questions. 

She read back as far as she could find differences and as far as she could see, it started with the black hole they had created in her time. A Romulan mining vessel called the Narada had come through and it’s first deed was to destroy the USS Kelvin in 2233 and with it, Commander/Captain George Kirk. Jim’s father died long before he had in her time. 

The scans the Kelvin took of the Narada’s 24th century technology, that went with the survivors in the shuttles were used by Starfleet to reverse engineer the more advanced technology. As she read more about the technologies that were derived from the Narada she realized that everything she knew, everything they were, had changed. From 2233 until their current time the federation and all that went with it was different. She found it lucky that they were all still together. 

The destruction of Vulcan brought tears to her eyes. She loved Vulcan. She could only imagine what it had done to Spock. He was there evacuating the council when he watched his mother die. Her heart ached for him. 

Her own life had been different as well. Her younger self had been appointed to the Enterprise and promoted by sheer luck and timing. She went to sleep and found herself lost in dreams of a time that seemed to exist no longer. 

*****

“Sir, there is a temporal disturbance from a nearby planet. We are being asked to investigate.” Chekov read the communication on his display. 

“Fine, Sulu plot a course.” It was very early and the report he had was that Uhura, older Uhura was still asleep. 

It took no time to arrive at the planet. The disturbance was shaking the ship and Sulu was holding orbit when his instruments exploded and was knocked unconscious. Kirk called for sickbay and McCoy came quickly. 

He injected Sulu with a few drops of Cordrazine and just when Jim was going to ask if it wasn’t too risky a medicine, Sulu woke. 

A sigh of relief was breathed before the Enterprise shook once more and McCoy injected himself with a 100 times the amount of a regular dose of 2 drops. The ship was in a frenzy when McCoy beamed himself down to the planet. 

*****

Nyota awoke when first the Enterprise started shaking. She dressed quickly before the alarm was flashing. Something was wrong. Knowing their history it could be anything. She opened her door and her guard told her to wait while he contacted the bridge and that she would be safer in her room for now. 

She was about to argue when she heard the voices of the Captain and Spock coming. A moment later she saw them and they were not alone. Her younger self was with them. 

“Captain, I strongly suggest not doing this,” Spock was saying. 

“Just like when you spoke with Spock about Khan,” Jim was rebuffing Spock’s argument and it was then that Older Nyota cleared her throat. 

“You have already encountered Khan?” she asked and held onto the knowledge that Spock, her Spock from her time was here somewhere. 

“Yes,” her younger self responded. “And now, Doctor McCoy needs our help.” 

“Come in,” Nyota said and stepped back into her room. 

Nyota sat and so did her younger self. They seemed to be taking in everything about the other. It was like looking in a mirror that turned back or forward the hands of time. Depending on which one you were. 

“We were sent to investigate a temporal disturbance. That was the shaking. When Sulu was hurt. Dr. McCoy…” Jim was explaining.

“Accidentally injected himself with Cordrazine,” Nyota Prime finished. 

“Yes,” Jim said and looked at Spock. 

“You must beam down to the planet and stun him. The Cordrazine will wear off but it is imperative that you do not let him go through the arch. You will think you have him, but you don’t. Don’t let the Guardian distract you from bringing him back.” Nyota had spoken with Jim after they had returned and he had told her about Edith Keeler. He had loved her and he had to let her die. A man could not recover from that even if the face he shows the world is a brave one. 

“I would ask if you would tell me what would happen if we don’t,” Jim said. 

“But I will not tell you. Just bring our doctor home and all will be well.” Nyota Prime said and watched as both Spock and the Captain left. Uhura however stayed.

“Will they save Dr. McCoy?” Uhura asked. 

“Yes, even if they have to travel through time. They will save him.” Nyota Prime said. “Though the Captain will lose a piece of himself if that is the route they must take.”

Uhura looked at the door. “I should go with them. But later…” 

“I will be here.” Nyota Prime watched her go and went to sit at the desk with the PADD. There was much left to catch up on. The Enterprise had already encountered Khan. She made herself wait to read that and went on to read where she left off. By the time she was caught up to Khan she had to fill in the blanks with her own imagination. Too much was left out and she was certain that the entire truth was not public record. Jim had died saving the Enterprise, not Spock. It was all so backwards. But unlike the MirrorVerse, they were not evil. 

When there was a knock at her door she had to bring herself back to the present. “Enter,” she said on the second or third buzz. 

“He’s asleep,” Uhura said as she stepped through the doorway.

“Did they have to go through the portal?” Nyota Prime asked. 

“No. Though after they sent him to sickbay the Guardian said that he could send you home,” Uhura said. She sat down on one of the chairs in the sitting area and watched her older self take the news of going to her own time and dimension. 

“Really?” Nyota Prime said and moved to sit in the chair opposite her younger self. 

“You won’t go, will you?” Uhura asked. 

“No. There is nothing there for me.” Nyota Prime responded the only truth she knew. With Scotty gone she did not want to go. But Scotty was here and she was fighting the urge to go see him. She didn’t want to see him for fear of what she would do. She might want to kiss him or hold him or throw herself at the younger version of her husband. 

“Because he’s here,” Uhura said. 

“He?” She wasn’t dating Scotty at this time in her life, but if things had changed then maybe this time he wouldn’t regret not telling her sooner. 

“Spock, your Spock is on New Vulcan.” 

That made Nyota smile. Her Spock. But the way she said it… “Are you dating Spock?” she asked. 

“Yes, I thought… Wouldn’t you know that already?” Uhura was confused. She and Spock were surely together in their future and that was why she, her older self had traveled through the black hole in her time to find him. Didn’t she?

“Spock... There was a time that I thought maybe we would. But it never happened. There was always another between us.” Nyota remembered the time that she sang to him and with him. There were always moments between them. Moments that seemed like there could be something. 

“T’Pring.” Uhura was unsure what to think after she heard that Spock’s betrothed had survived. She was lovely and she was a Vulcan, like Spock. 

“Well maybe saying there was one between us is a falsehood. There were three. T’Pring was only one. The other was James Kirk. The relationship between them was always as if there was room for no others. Even when the Captain was chasing some beautiful being, or in love with another. They always had each other.” Nyota was treading as softly as she could. It would be unfair to divulge too much. 

Uhura had to agree with Nyota’s assessment on the relationship between Spock and the Captain. They had something very akin to a couple. She had never seen Spock as he was when Jim had died in the Core of the Enterprise. He had cried and then the anger. The anger was unlike any she had seen from him, including when his home planet was destroyed. But Nyota had said three. Was there someone else for her in this other world?

“You will not tell me who the third is, will you?” Uhura asked.

“I want to, there is a million reasons to tell you but then would it be real?” Nyota shook her head and smiled. “Ask me something else.”

“What rank do we achieve?” Uhura asked. Her back straightened and she seemed ready to hear the best of news. 

“Admiral,” Nyota responded. “And there is much more in your future. You lead a wonderful life.” 

“One that could be different,” Uhura said.

“That will be different,” Nyota agreed. “The opportunities you have are infinite. Even your technology is well passed where mine was at your age.”

“But Spock is not in my future,” Uhura stated more than asked. 

“I cannot say, Nyota. This time is much different than my own.” Nyota smiled softly and thought of her Scotty. The gentle way he would hold her and the way he would smile and that accent. Lord that accent made her weak in the knees.

“Did you find love?” She had always been more concerned about her career than the life of a wife and mother. But the idea of no love at all, was not one Uhura cherished. 

“Oh yes, I loved and was loved,” Nyota said and her smile grew. 

“The Captain said you would not want to return, but that you can’t stay aboard the ship. There were too many risks of knowing things we shouldn’t know. He has plotted a course for New Vulcan. He had imagined you would want to be with Spock. But he can take you back to Earth if you prefer.” Uhura wanted to ask so many more questions but Jim had cautioned her and she knew that if she stayed much longer her will would break. 

“New Vulcan would be wonderful. I always loved Vulcan.” Nyota leaned back. For the first time since she left Sulu she felt as if she was reaching her destination. 

“The Captain has also arranged a dinner with all the officers. He thought you might like to see everyone before you leave.” Uhura leaned forward. She really would need to leave. Seeing herself was a bit disconcerting, but she could also see her own feelings on the aged face across from her. Nyota Prime was obviously feeling at peace and she did not want to ruin that for her.

“That would be wonderful,” Nyota smiled with her response. She would see Scotty. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 

They said good evening and Uhura told Nyota the dinner would be the following day. And she was welcome to travel the ship at her leisure if she so desired. 

*****

The next Gamma shift; Nyota found herself wandering the Enterprise. The ship was more like the Excelsior class in size. Not quite so big but close. Much bigger than her own Enterprise. And much more advanced. She was seeing technologies that they shouldn’t have for another sixty years. Even the colors the ship was painted inside. There was a more sterile and sleek design than her Enterprise. She decided she liked her own much better.

She had seen the advancements in sickbay and finally made it down to engineering. Scotty was there. 

“Well hello there. You must be our glorious guest,” he said and gave a small bow. 

“Montgomery Scott,” Nyota said and gave a small bow in return. A Roylan came walking up to Scotty and seemed to be interested in who she was. 

“Ye should be checking the diagnostics on the Warp core. What are ye doin’ here?” Scotty raised his voice to the little man who looked up to Nyota. 

“Aww, Scotty. Don’t yell at him,” Nyota said and held her hand out to the Roylan. The Roylan took her hand and stood at her side as if to mock Scotty. 

“Now he’ll be nigh on impossible to work with. Keenser, don’t think that I’ll forget this,” Scotty said in such a tone that Nyota couldn’t help but smile.

“Keenser?” Nyota asked looking down at the small Roylan. He nodded at her. “I read about you. I had no idea you were assigned to the Enterprise.”

“I was wondering if ye would make it down here before you left.” Scotty interjected. 

“Won’t you be at my dinner tomorrow?” Nyota asked. 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Scotty said though he sounded a bit put off. 

“I forgot how testy you could be if you had to work Gamma shift.” Nyota chuckled a little. She loved when he got all fired up about work. 

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant. The time ripples played happy hell with the warp drive. She’s running a’right, but not as smoothly as she should.” Scotty looked a bit distraught for having been short with her. 

“It’s quite alright. This drive was always your first love.” Nyota looked at the surroundings and smiled. She ran a hand down the sleek console in front of them. 

“Aye, there is nothing like the purr of a good warp drive.” Scotty looked lovingly at his surroundings. 

“I will see you tomorrow, Mr. Scott.” Nyota leaned forward and kissed his cheek then leaned down to kiss Keenser as well. 

*****

The dinner was wonderful and full of her favorite foods. She supposed that had not changed for them. Her and her younger self. They all spoke of things that had come to pass in the last few years and Nyota drank it all in. It was wonderful to hear from them how they came together and how they were each selected to be a part of the crew. 

The next day they arrived at New Vulcan and when she said her goodbyes, she felt as if another part of her life had closed like a book in a series. A new chapter was opening and she was going there once more in the Jellyfish. 

Each goodbye was one that she cherished. When she came to her younger self she merely smiled. “Don’t let anything I’ve said change your heart. You know it well and it will not steer you wrong. It never has.” 

Before she climbed aboard the Jellyfish she turned to Scotty and hugged him. When she kissed him on the cheek she whispered in his ear. “You told me once that you had one regret; that you did not tell her sooner.” She kissed him again and entered her shuttle. 

She didn’t look back but started the Jellyfish and headed for the next chapter.


End file.
